Blood-Stained
by Yeslek25
Summary: Legolas realises that becoming Prince of Mirkwood isn't all that it's cracked up to be....My first LOTR fanfiction, so be nice in de reviews, te? ^_^;; *CHAPTER 5 UPDATED!*
1. Coronation

__

Blood-Stained

Ch. 1: Coronation

The stars were bright that evening in Northern Mirkwood, and so father and son were enjoying each other's company under the velvet canvas, content to be silent and serene. Each was a mirror reflection of one another, though Thranduil sported a few worry lines about his forehead and cheeks, present despite his eternal youth.

"The stars are beautiful tonight. I miss these times we spend together, father." The younger Greenleaf said softly, his voice almost a whisper. It seemed that any sound perverted the still beauty around them, but words would have to be spoken at one time before both retired for the night. It seemed natural that the younger and more naive of the two - though that was waning fast, the King could see - be the one to speak them first, and to break the silence.

"As do I, _Laegolas_." Thranduil spoke gently, crossing his arms and leaning against the balcony railing, looking much more like a human in that moment than Legolas could ever remember. Legolas could remember far back to his childhood years, and of the times when his father would speak of tales concerning humans and the race of men. He had a growing suspicion that his father knew more about humans than he let on, and perhaps had lived among them at one time, but if he knew anything he kept it from his son.

This night was no ordinary night; in a few short hours, near midnight, would be Legolas' formal crowning, naming him the prince of Mirkwood. Until this night he had but been his father's successor, but now he would wield some power over the subjects of his father's land, and he was guaranteed the crown when his father faded into the West. It was customary for father and son to spend the hours before alone together, speaking of the old days when they were both a little younger and when the world didn't seem as threatening as it did now.

Legolas' eyes flickered to the shining silver helm laced across his father's forehead. It was very much similar to the one he had seen Elrond of Rivendell wearing when he had visited there as a child, laced over and through itself with silver strands of what looked to be the precious metal _mithril_. Legolas knew for a fact that his father had a small amount of the metal locked away in the family vaults, and that his own new helm would be made of it as well. It was amazing how something so earth-bound and plain could sparkle so beautifully when tendered and shaped properly.

Despite all these wonderful things about becoming Prince, Legolas could still feel his stomach fluttering uncomfortably. It had been his greatest fear that he could not live up to the reputation his father had built, and that his people would never come to respect him in the way that they did his father.

"You are nervous." Thranduil said, turning his head. A smirk was planted on his face, and Legolas had to marvel at his father's hearing. His breathing had changed only slightly, not enough for even himself to pick up voluntarily, and it seemed to his father to be as loud as the Northern winds that ran through Mirkwood in the early fall.

"I don't suppose I'd be a good ruler like you if I wasn't." Legolas said, finding himself unable to look his father in the eyes. He looked down to the streets and the palace courtyard, where the preparations for the ceremony would take place. Though he would not inherit all of Mirkwood for a good long time yet, he found more and more of his freedom taken away and replaced by duty, a word he had scorned for want of his own life many years before.

To his surprise, Thranduil laughed. "How right you are. I wouldn't want my son to have a big head, now would I?" He chuckled, smiling a real smile for his son. The old elf had not really produced a real smile in so long, Legolas found it hard to remember a time when he did smile truly, from the bottom of his heart. He found it very uplifting.

"Do not worry, you are not King yet." The King of Mirkwood laughed again, reaching out and slapping his son on the back. Legolas found himself smiling again, and returned to looking out at the stars. He supposed that he could be a good ruler, and he was sort of glad that it was far away, into the distant future.

He was not his father, but it did not matter. He was Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood.

Lady Galadriel pulled up her brilliant white steed, coming to a halt at the gates of the palace. Behind her were some of her guards, including Haldir, and at her side was her husband Celeborn. She immediately recognised one of the Stewards of Mirkwood as he slipped through the palace gates, and beyond she could see all the preparations coming into place.

"Your Ladyship! Mirkwood is happy to welcome you to the coronation of Prince Legolas!" The Steward said, sounding baffled but also quite happy that someone of such distinction had come to see the young - as young as he could be considered, being an elf - prince.

"Please come in, your Ladyship! I shall inform the king immediately of your arrival! Unexpected, but still much welcomed!" The Steward said, sounding much like he was babbling. Galadriel felt the corners of her mouth turn upward as the elf struggled with the gates before them, then practically running back up the long winding road to the glimmering palace beyond.

"Humph," Celeborn scoffed at her side, "No grace _whatsoever_." Galadriel laughed, motioning her horse forward, also indicating that the small party should be on it's way. She heard a few of the guard speaking in low voices in the back, and almost immediately one of them being thumped rather hard with what sounded like the end of a bow; most likely Haldir telling them to 'smarten up and fly straight' as she liked to call it.

The company of roughly five moved up the road on steeds of pure white, seeing as they came closer that it was nearly time for the coronation to begin. She could also see many others arriving from different roads leading up to the palace, spotting many fair-headed blonde elves and some dark-haired ones, supposedly from Rivendell and the lands around it. Perhaps she would see Elrond here on this night; she had missed him since his last visit to Lothlorien, as the two were good friends, though she knew her husband could not stand him.

Finally reaching the palace itself, Galadriel dismounted and let the reins of her horse to one of the stable hands, of which she was surprised to see was human. He bowed to her respectfully with all of the grace that an elf would have to someone of her stature, leading her horses away to the stables on the other side of the palace. It left her staring despite her tolerance of humans, and Celeborn was happy to vocalise it for her.

"_Men_, in _Mirkwood_? It's bad enough about that damned wife of his..." He muttered, but was quickly silenced by Galadriel with the motion of her hand.

"Hush love, we don't want to make ourselves look bad in front of _oh-so-many_ people, now do we?" She said, smirking when her husband grumbled something derogatory towards Thranduil and dropped his head, apparently done with the vocal argument. He knew she was right, after all, but he could not bring himself to be civil to the King when he didn't have to be.

There came a sound from above, and Galadriel focused her sight up towards one of the many overhanging balconies of the palace. It was run up with beautiful fern-like vines and made it look all the more homelike to her, but her attention was focused on the two figures that sat on the rails, facing each other and talking quietly to one another. Thranduil and his son Legolas spoke to each other in happy tones, laughing and talking together. It was a happy sight for her, as last time she had been to Mirkwood the king was not on good terms with his son. Catching her line of sight, Celeborn caught the sight of the two Mirkwood nobles sitting upon the balcony, much in the way that humans would do so.

"Ugh, would you _look_ at..."

"_Celeborn_." Galadriel said warningly, nudging her husband ever-so-gently. He grumbled something else, and she rolled her eyes.

"Come now, my son. It's time." Thranduil smiled, letting Legolas walk before him and placing his hand on his shoulder as they passed under the archway of the balcony and into the heated rooms of the palace. They were about to leave when a young message boy - human, the king noticed - ran in on them and bowed hastily, presenting a message to his king.

"My Lord, Lady Galadriel has arrived with her party, and are presently at the gates awaiting you, Milord!" He said breathlessly, and it was apparent that he had been running. Thranduil's eyes opened in surprise, but he smiled soon after. He should have known that she would have come anyways, despite Celeborn's urgings and most terrible disposition towards him. He nodded, and the boy left, looking relieved. Thranduil turned to his son.

"Dress yourself and meet me down in the meadows. I must greet our unexpected, but welcome, guests." He said softly, walking past Legolas and exiting the room. He simply nodded after his father and began laying out the clothes that had been specially prepared for this most important day.

"Galadriel, my dear, how have you been!?" Thranduil practically yelled as he walked down the steps of the gilded palace, his arms open wide. The Lady of the Wood bowed to him, and was quite surprised to see that he went to her and encircled her in a hug, something she was not used to. She heard Celeborn snort in anger behind her, and she hoped that he didn't blow a fuse at the Mirkwood royalty. Despite this, she had to admit that it felt nice, being there in his arms, though she knew she was embarrassing her husband more and more as the second ticked by like they were minutes. As they parted she heard Thranduil whisper something in her ear in his own tongue, but by the time she had finished mentally translating it he had put on a mask and was greeting the rest of the party behind her. She simply stood there in shock, barely registering what the king said to her husband.

"Celeborn, old bean, how _are_ you?" The King pressed, and it was obvious that he was holding back his temper. The two kings had not liked each other for a long, long time, longer than Galadriel could ever remember, though she knew not why.

"Quite well, thank you." Her husband responded curtly, clearly not in the mood to talk. Sensing this energy also, Thranduil rapidly changed topics, something that he specialized in.

"Well then, let's get you all down to the meadows, shall we? That's where we're having it, on account of the beautiful weather we've been having. Come on then, let's not tarry!" The king said jovially, putting all - with the exception of Celeborn, of course - in good spirits.

From the darkness above Galadriel felt eyes on her back, and she became fearful that someone else besides her husband and company had seen the 'friendly' embrace.

The meadows were packed with bodies; elves from all different parts of Middle Earth had been assembled in one place, and Galadriel was happy that she had come. Immediately Haldir and the other two soldier elves he had insisted come with her departed from her side, sure that she was safe in a clearing with many other elves that could protect her if need be. Celeborn stood glued to her side, sure that Thranduil would pop up from somewhere among the trees and whisk her away. It had been his greatest fear since he had very rudely hugged his wife in complete view of everyone, and he wouldn't let him get near her again like that.

"Dearest, I'm feeling slightly claustrophobic..." Galadriel said softly from Celeborn's side, looking up at him gently. He raised an eyebrow at this and separated from her slowly, but did still not leave her side. She sighed and looked about her, involuntarily looking for Thranduil.

Moments later, a herald bleated his trumpet, getting everyone's attention. He stood at the foot of the dais that had been set up, looking quite earthy and very warm amongst the fronds of leaves and ferns that it had been set in.

"Announcing his Lordship, Legolas of Mirkwood!" The herald yelled, making sure everyone heard him. Then, from a slight distance, there came a neighing of a horse. Galadriel turned her attention to the clearing opening, and found a white light slowly appearing out of the darkness. Legolas rode out into the clearing on a horse of pure white, it's head tossing up it's hair and making it shimmer in the pale moonlight of the summer night. Thranduil stood by the dais dutifully, awaiting his son's arrival.

Galadriel was nothing less than dazzled. The prince wore the proper ceremonial clothes outfitted to him for the event, which were silver and white in colour and shimmered almost as much as the horse seemed to be. Truly, he could have looked to be a _Valar_, one of the elven Gods, had no one known his name. There was much applause as he rode in, and Galadriel thought she could catch a smidge of red appearing on his fair cheeks as he made his way through the crowds, which eagerly parted for him.

Elves gathered around as Legolas dismounted and stood before his father, who had stepped up on the dais and had motioned for a servant to step forward, bearing something resting on a velvet pillow and covered with a thin sheet of silk. He instructed his son to bow down before him, and the elf got down on one knee, shaking slightly. This was it; this was the moment that changed the course of his life forever.

"_Behold here_!" Thranduil began suddenly, raising his hands, "_The Heir of Mirkwood! Look upon Legolas, my son and successor, as your Prince_!" As soon as he had finished speaking he looked out to the crowd, as was customary, and there was a brief pause as everyone 'mimicked' looking upon the Prince. Then, in a thundering roar that would have rivalled Mount Doom, they all called out as one voice, ringing upon the night as like nothing heard around for a thousand years.

"_LEGOLAS_!!" Galadriel shouted with the rest of them, raising her hand to the sky in a signature of showing she accepted the new prince of Mirkwood. Legolas himself was practically shaking in his boots, but he did not yet get up from his position at his father's feet. There was still one more thing to be done.

The silken sheet was cast aside, and laying there on the pillow was the gift Legolas had been so long expecting; his father picked it up with sure hands from the spot in which it rested and held it out before him, and Legolas bowed his head. No sooner had he bent it did the helm lay neatly upon his forehead, it's weight next to nothing against him. It fit perfectly, and after a moment Legolas rose and looked at his father, directly in the eyes. He was smiling, and it looked that a tear was threatening his eye. Then he turned to the crowd, and suddenly all the nobility there shouted out once more, this time in celebration.

Legolas smiled, looking out at every elf in the small clearing. Soon he found himself chuckling, and the firm hand of his father touched his shoulder in reassurance from behind. Though Legolas did not see it, his father was crying, but it was not tears of sadness that he shed; they were tears of joy, well reserved for the moment he had been waiting for nearly half his life.

Something hissed in the darkness, away from all prying eyes - and ears. The image of the young elf being crowned burned into the back of his skull, it seemed, and he quickly made his way back towards the darker, thicker woods, wanting to get away from the disturbing scene. Still safely away from the clearing, the sounds of rejoicing came to his ears, nearly making him scream.

"Master will not like this, no, no..." He whispered, curling up into a ball and rolling against a tree trunk. Then, as quick as ever, he jumped up and hurtled away into the darkness, heading for places that elves had not seen since the Elder Days, and were still afraid to venture to.


	2. Of Courtship and Catastrophe

__

Blood-Stained

Ch. 2: Of Courtship and Catastrophe

A mere three days after his coronation to Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas was already being followed by 'eligible young maidens' wanting much to make his 'personal acquaintance'. True, there had not been a time in his adult life when he was not stalked continuously by females with raging hormones, but at this moment those numbers of crazed girls tripled, and were getting in his way more than usual.

Frustrated by the fact that he could not stroll down the city streets without being run over by masses of girls and ladies, Legolas turned about and headed back to the palace, the one place in Mirkwood where unwanted visitors stayed out when they were ordered to. It was just as Legolas was passing through the gates and about to walk up the long road to the palace that he spotted someone lying in the grass near the gates, which were now unmanned at this hour. He curiously sidled over and looked down upon the figure, which turned out to be a gloriously pretty young elven girl, with dark brown hair swirling in patterns down her back and with small braids similar to his own adorning each side of her hair. She appeared to be sleeping, and Legolas poked at her curiously. Eyes opened and revealed their beautiful jade-green colour to him, and she squinted in the sunlight as he looked down upon her, his figure outlined in sunbeams.

"What...? Who...?" She stuttered, clearly not knowing where she was or who Legolas happened to be, at least not at this particular moment. Her eyes flickered around to spacing behind Legolas, and finally her eyes settled on him, and to the glimmering helm upon his forehead.

"King Thranduil of Mirkwood?" She questioned, clearly still confused. Legolas blinked for a moment, then laughed heartily.

"No, Lady, I am his son, Legolas." He corrected her, helping her to stand. Before she could utter apologies, he asked her if she was feeling alright and what she had done to be laying at the guard gates to the Mirkwood palace. She wobbled slightly when she stood and leaned against him for support, still blinking back the harsh rays of the afternoon sun.

"I do not know, Milord. I only remember being hit on the back of the head, and just now waking up at your calls, sir." She said softly, letting go of Legolas and leaning against the stone of the wall she had been previously lying against.

"You have no memory of what happened to you?" He asked her, finding this very curious indeed. She nodded, pressing her hand to her forehead. It was obvious that she was in pain; Legolas mentally smacked himself for not noticing it earlier. He walked up to her and grabbed her behind the knees and backside, taking her up in his arms; she let out a startled gasp, but said nothing more and did not struggle against him as he led her up the path to the palace.

"Milord, what are you doing..?" She asked wildly, but was cut off instantly by Legolas' stare.

"You are obviously injured and not in the right mindset to be let back out, my dear. I'm sure that the healers in the palace will help you from whatever ails." He said softly, trying to ignore the strong feeling of warmth that he was getting in his palms and up around his neck. "And you don't look fit to walk." He added quickly, noticing her questioning stare.

"Thank you, Milord Legolas." She said softly, keeping herself as far away from his body as she could manage, being held in his arms so tightly and possessively - in her opinion.

"You are welcome, uh..." Legolas' mind went blank as he realised that he did not know the girl's name.

"Luthiena." She provided for him, looking around her as several tall trees passed her field of vision. Her head was swimming, but slowly things were coming into place and she could remember more and more. She did not know why she had come to Mirkwood, but she could remember things about her past, such as important facts, but the memories did not come back to her as swiftly. She shrugged internally and hoped that the prince would not ask about where she had come from.

"Ah, Luthiena. Where have you come from, Milady, or have you forgotten that too?" Legolas asked her nicely, and she thought that she heard a bit of a tease in his voice. She blinked, spitting out words before she even managed to get them around her mind.

"From Rivendell, sire. I was there under the care of my guardian, and I remember travelling on a horse..." She shook her head, "That is all I can remember. I am sorry." She said softly, wondering if he would be upset. After all, she was in the arms of Mirkwood's most valuable elf, and she had not known him very much in the time she had - supposedly - spent in Mirkwood. Vague images of walking the city's streets came to her, but nothing solid she could base assumptions on.

"Quite alright. Don't tire yourself. See, we are almost there." Legolas assured her, walking through the gardens and tendered fishponds that led up to the steps of the great gilded palace he called home.

`-`-`-`-`-`-

"Is there anything else you require, Milady?" Thranduil asked his guest sitting directly beside him, smiling winningly. Lady Galadriel shook her head, nibbling daintily at the food that had been specially prepared for this meal. Her husband Celeborn sat beside her, and Elrond of Rivendell was directly across from her, sitting with his daughter Arwen. They spoke quietly to one another, clearly not in the direct conversation with the king. Celeborn remained quiet, wishing that he could get out of the deep woods of Mirkwood and back to a home he recognised - and most definitely liked better.

Being the only one that was not really doing anything, Thranduil kept trying to strike up conversations with Galadriel, or asking things of her that went way beyond casual conversations. Though it was three days since the coronation of his son, Thranduil insisted that the high guests of honour would stay another week in his presence so he could catch up with things. Elrond and Arwen didn't seem to mind, though they seemed rather anxious to leave. Celeborn rarely came from his room, except for dinner, and was becoming continually anxious to get home and moody about being delayed.

The King's attempts to get the Lady to speak were foiled when Elrond spoke up from the other side of the table.

"My Lord, it has been very pleasurable staying here in such a fine country, but I fear that we must leave now. Unrest has been reported near fine Rivendell, and these days one cannot take chances." He bowed gracefully and stood up, Arwen doing so silently at his side. Thranduil nodded gently and bid them off, before returning his attention to Galadriel.

"Perhaps, my Lady, you would join me in a walk about the gardens when you are done eating?" The King asked suddenly, making the Lady nearly spit her food out across the tablecloth. She kept it in, however, and nearly managed a weak reply before the slamming open of the door shook her out of her sudden fright. Legolas entered the room, unable to formally bow for the half-unconscious girl in his arms.

"Father, I have found this young lady laying among the grass outside of the palace walls. I believe she's been attacked." Legolas said, sounding slightly breathless. Thranduil stared for a moment at his son, an eyebrow raising slowly.

"And what were you intending to do with this girl, my son?" He asked, nearly laughing at the situation he found himself in.

"I thought that perhaps our healers could look at her, father." He asked, barely noticing Lady Galadriel and her husband sitting in their chairs, watching and being slightly miffed that he had just come barging into the room bearing a very young and attractive maiden in his arms. Had he been Galadriel's own son, she probably would have slapped him.

"Yes, yes, go right ahead....Next time do so with a little more caution, Legolas..." Thranduil said, his gaze critically piercing his son's own eyes. Legolas blushed slightly in embarrassment before he ran from the room and down the hall, still able to travel at speed with a woman in his arms.

Scuffling was heard outside of a small, first story window. Twin bulging eyes popped out of the bush and looked into the room, past it into the hallway just in time to see Prince Legolas running down it with the girl in his arms. The creature smiled; the mission had been set underway.

`-`-`-`-`-

In the deepest parts of the forest, where elves dare not venture, there stood an elf of evil proportions. Looking down from his castle window to the barren landscape ahead of him, he could do nothing but scowl. For long years he had been king of nothing more than dirt, dust and rock, and the anger within him had been boiling to a point of no return.

There came a feeble knock at his chamber door, and he knew that his servant had come back to him with news. He said nothing, and the door swung open moments later. The creature Gollum stood hunched before him, it's huge eyes blinking madly about and looking nervously around, as if something would jump out of the shadows and attack him.

"What have you for me, Gollum?" The estranged elf had been in much sorrow for days now, since his daughter had run away from the castle. Why she had done so he did not know why, but he wanted her back soon. Sometimes he felt like she was the only thing keeping him alive, for he loved her much - probably more than he loved life itself.

"The child, ssssirr...She is in the cassssssstle.." Gollum reported, sounding happy with himself. He knew his new master would be happy with this news, and might even reward him with something. At this the elf whirled around on the former hobbit, his green eyes glowing with what seemed like anger, but underneath was happiness and relief.

"She is? In Mirkwood castle?" He said, scratching his chin. He had been fortunate; this could play to his advantage, if he did it right. "What was she like? Did you see her condition?" He asked again, his maternal instincts overcoming him once more. He only cared in this way for his daughter, and he supposed that it would remain like that until he could be eternally happy again.

"Injured, massssster. The Princcccccee took her." Gollum said, shivering in the cold air of the castle. It was cold in these parts of the forest, but he knew that it made no difference to his master, who could not feel the cold, or the heat of the world. Ancient devilry was how he thought of it.

The elf seemed to think this over for moments, his gaze returning to the window and to the barren landscape that swam before his eyes. When Gollum thought that it was his cue to leave, the elf swung back towards him and stared at him, a plan forming in his mind.

"You will go back to the Mirkwood castle, and keep an eye on her for me. Come report to me in three days' time." He said. With that he resumed his staring out of the window, and Gollum left for real this time. He shrank through the corridors of the cold, stony castle, and back out towards the light of day which he despised so much.

`-`-`-`-`

Luthiena groaned when she came to, her eyes opening slowly and adjusting to the waning light of the day. It looked to be almost evening, and sunset was nearly upon her. She sat up, blinking back sleep and looking all around her. She looked to be in some sort of hospital, and at the moment it was completely empty. She looked down and found that her clothes were still upon her body, something that made her sigh in relief. She fingered her long, thick dress, wondering if perhaps she could get a hold of something a little more lighter than this.

The memories of the hours past came back to her, and she unconsciously where Legolas had gotten to. _He's a prince, my dear,_ she reminded herself, _He's got better things to do than watch your recovery all day._ She sighed, flinging the blankets aside and standing up. She went to the window and looked out, feeling her face being bathed in the sunlight that came streaming down at an angle from the darkening sky. As she stared, she thought about how she had gotten to Mirkwood in the first place. It bothered her because she could not remember anything about where she had been before, who perhaps her parents had been, and why she thought she had come from Rivendell. She did, however, remember emotions and small snatches of memory, and none of them were good. She remembered anguish, pain, suffering and darkness all around her. Even when it was light, the trees blocked it and forced the darkness down upon her. _She had fled... _Yes, that was it. Wherever she had come from, she had fled in fear. In fear of something, but what she did not know. _Yet_, hopefully.

There came a knock at the door, and she whirled around, jumping slightly. A servant entered, and she noticed with some disdain that it was a human woman instead of an elf, but she didn't care when she noticed that she brought her a change of clothes and steaming hot food. She thanked the servant and bid her out, who looked happy to serve her even though she was a complete stranger to the royal family. First she looked upon the clothing that had been given to her, and her eyebrows immediately raised themselves. She held the dress out in front of her body; it was a beautiful hunter green, with a small slit down the side decorated in beautiful gold leaf patterns. It also had very thin straps on the top, and she found herself blushing at it's appearance, though it was simply a dress. Along with the dress she found an odd-looking overcoat, of the same colour and gold leaf patterns and beautiful green slippers. She carefully slipped on the dress, afraid that she might rip it if she was not careful. The slippers came on next, and she looked at herself in the mirror. With horror she realised that she actually looked good in it, and she blushed despite herself. It was a far change from her usual woollen dresses that were usually very uncomfortable and itchy. This one was silky, soft and very nice against her skin, despite it's skimpiness in her opinion. _Remember dear, there's still the overcoat._ She reminded herself, shaking out of her thoughts.

The overcoat, once put on, made the dress look a little more modest; the bottom of it was very form-fitting and melded well with it's golden edges against the underlying green dress, and it continued to be tight until it came to the shoulders, where it became looser and the sleeves billowed out and down, much like the rich dresses she had seen in her lifetime that the Mirkwood noble ladies wore. The sleeves were decorated in the same beautiful gold leaf and the edges, which were wide like the sleeves of religious robes, nearly touched the ground when she put her arms down. All in all, a very stylish dress and it matched perfectly with her hair and eyes. She had a strange feeling that Legolas had picked it out for her, and that feeling made her stomach flutter oddly.

From the food she had been brought she ate roughly half of it, not wanting to seem like a pig or anything. It was very delicious, and seemed to nearly melt in her mouth as her tongue touched it. She smiled happily, feeling more so than she had in years.

`-`-`-`-`

Thranduil entered his son's room, upsetting the deep thinking that he had obviously been in. He started to apologise, but Legolas stopped him.

"That's quite alright, father. What is it that you have come to see me about?" He asked, sensing the worry from his father. The king looked rather distraught, and sat down on a chair near the door to Legolas' chamber.

"I have just found out a few minutes ago, my son. The creature, Gollum, has escaped from the jail we have so painstakingly protected." He said, looking relieved now that he had shared the burden with his son. Legolas felt his mouth open in shock, but instead of looking like an idiot he asked his father exactly when this had happened, and how he had not known until now.

"He escaped the night of your coronation, my son. I do not know how the information has escaped me until now, but it is clear that we cannot leave this be. You must travel to Rivendell and tell Lord Elrond of this immediately. Had he stayed perhaps a little longer, this journey would not have to take place." Thranduil said softly. "I would go myself, Legolas, but I must stay here." He said, his voice changing oddly at the last sentence. Legolas stepped forward and nodded.

"Of course, father. I shall start out tomorrow morning." Thranduil nodded, getting up warily from his chair and walking down the hall, to some unknown destination. Legolas raised an eyebrow at his father's sudden departure, but he said nothing of it. Instead, he remembered suddenly the young maiden he had brought in earlier that day. Perhaps she was awake now. He made plans to go down and see her, but right as he was leaving his quarters a young servant woman stopped him.

"It is the Lady, sir. She has awoken." Legolas nodded, waving her away. He made his way down to her room, which was for now the medic's practicing room, wondering what would become of tomorrow.

Luthiena jumped when the door to the room opened once more, and Legolas stepped through. She calmed herself, but she couldn't help but notice how the Prince was staring at her quite oddly. She blushed and turned, but his stare did not cease.

"That is one of my mother's dresses. I knew you would look very nice in it, Milady." Legolas said after a prolonged silence, feeling warmth creeping up his neck and into his cheeks. "But I have not come here simply to stare at you, Milady. My father wishes for me to travel to Rivendell tomorrow, on the account that the creature Gollum has escaped."

Why did that name sound so familiar? Luthiena found herself searching her brain as the Prince's words filtered through her head. "I would like it very much if you would come with me. You said you are of Rivendell, and perhaps you could find something that jars your memory there. You are certainly not a native of Mirkwood, as you carry the characteristics of one of the dark-haired ones." Legolas added. Luthiena felt her throat tightening, but she did not want to tell him that she was, in fact, not of Rivendell. Somehow she knew that she was not, but she could not tell him that now.

"Yes, I would enjoy that much. Thank you for your hospitality, my Lord." She said gently, bowing oddly in the new dress she had been given. "Perhaps you would like this precious memory of your mother returned to you?" She added, seeing the hurt in his eyes when she mentioned mother. Most likely she was dead, and was immediately sorry she had mentioned anything.

"No, I insist you keep it. There are many more like that, and I believe you will make more use of it than she will, hm?" He said light-heartedly, feeling a smile come to his lips. She nodded, looking around her for lack of anything else to do.

"Ah, yes. Perhaps you would like another room for tonight? I daresay that you would like to spend another night in the infirmary, am I right?" Legolas asked her. She nodded, following his gesture for her to step outside. The dress swished when she walked in it, and she felt distinctly royal in it. She even felt the urge to stand up directly straight as she walked, but it was near to impossible. She found herself wondering what Legolas' mother had been like. Had she the same brown hair that she did? Or perhaps was his mother native Mirkwood blood, so obviously like his father?

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, my Lord. I am sorry that I cannot tell you more about myself, I really wish I could. I am a blank slate on some matters, I fear." She said, embarrassed, but Legolas did not show any sign of making fun of her or spurning her for it.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. We will find out what happened to you. I am just as curious as you, for I have never run into an elf that has lost her memory before, and find it quite intriguing." Legolas said truthfully. Luthiena felt her cheeks growing warm at this, but said nothing.

`-`-`-`-`

Gollum blinked, watching as the two walked down the long corridors of the Mirkwood Castle. He was surprised that guards had not spotted him already, but he took this to his advantage and spied on the young Luthiena as much as he could without being seen. It seemed that the elves here at the palace were too trusting, but he could have been wrong.

"Hey, you creature! Come here!" There came a voice. Gollum whipped his head around, seeing three elves running towards him. The one in the head, and drawing an arrow to his bow, was Haldir of Lothlorien. Gollum screeched and bolted from the bushes, running as fast as he could over the palace gardens, three angry guard elves in hot pursuit, their bows singing and arrows flying.


	3. Journey to Rivendell

__

Blood-Stained

Ch. 3: Journey to Rivendell

The day dawned bright and clear; Luthiena stepped out of her beautifully furnished room - wearing the same dress as the day before - and met Legolas, who was all decked out in his camouflage clothing of green and brown, still artfully inscribed with beautiful leaf patterns here and there. She saw he had strapped to his back a beautifully ornamented bow, and a quiver full of arrows. Two long knives also adorned themselves at his backside, their golden handles sticking up into visibility and for - apparent - easy reach.

"Are you ready, my Lady? I shall show you to the stables, then." Legolas said, taking her arm and leading her through the winding passages of the castle. She was afraid that she would become lost in the immense palace, but the more time she spent here the more she got to know familiar markers, and could probably have done well on her own. She mentioned this to Legolas, and he laughed.

"My mother said the same thing when she arrived here in the palace, but she learned her way around quickly enough. Turned out her visit changed itself into a permanent residence." He said, a smile on his lips. She felt herself blushing again some more, but was interrupted by the appearance of Haldir of Lothlorien and his two soldiers. He bowed to Legolas, and the action was returned.

"What is it, Haldir? Should you not be with your Lady?" Legolas asked, wondering to where the Lady had gotten to since she had arrived at his coronation four days ago now.

"She has permitted us to explore your fine city, sir, but we have taken up to guarding the palace walls. It is what we do best. Speaking of guarding things, yesterday Gollum gave us a chase. He was peering into the castle, looking for something sir." Haldir said, his eyes still scanning the area for the ugly creature. Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"He is still here?" He asked, becoming slightly giddy. That did not make sense; he would have run as soon as he was able, in fear of being kept prisoner again. Haldir shook his head.

"I do not know for sure sire, but he has left the city and was making for the deeper woods when we broke off the pursuit." He informed. The other two elves with him nodded, backing up his story. Legolas nodded, thinking of whether or not to report it to his father.

"Report this to my father, should you come across him. Keep a sharp lookout, for I shall be gone today and perhaps most of the week." Haldir nodded and was off almost immediately, stalking around the palace for anything else that might try to harm members of the Royal family.

"He does love his job, doesn't he?" Luthiena commented, watching the three elves sneaking off through the gardens. Legolas laughed, leading her off through some of the open-air balconies to the stables.

"Yes, yes, he does. You will not mind sharing horse with me, Lady?" He asked, helping her mount the beautiful white horse that had been led in front of the two. Around them, a few other Stewards were preparing to go with him, and they nodded to him as he entered. Luthiena shook her head and nearly squealed when Legolas picked her up with ease and placed her on his horse, getting some odd looks from the other elves in the stables. He ignored them, however, and mounted the packed horse right behind Luthiena, making her blush again.

"Gentlemen, are you ready?" Legolas yelled behind him, and the mounted Stewards shouted back to them their readiness. Legolas took up the reins of his horse, slapping them against the beast's neck. Luthiena found herself grabbing the horse's mane for support as it suddenly went bolting forward, pushing her hair back to the wind. Legolas' shouts were lost to her ears as it rushed past, and the small company bolted from the stables to the path leading from Mirkwood palace and the forest itself.

`-`-`-`-`-`

Lady Galadriel nearly upset herself as she saw four horses depart from the stables, one with two figures upon it, and watched as they raced down the forest paths out of sight. Thranduil, who had been sitting beside her and had been commenting on the beauty of the castle gardens, suddenly noticed that she was no longer paying attention to him.

"Where does Legolas go in such a hurry?" She asked curiously. Thranduil gestured casually in the way his son had gone, not looking the least worried.

"I have sent him on an errand to see Lord Elrond. The creature, Gollum, has escaped and I wish that he know about it." He informed her, as though she were stupid if she were not able to have the extra information about it.

"Oh dear!" She gasped, thinking of the horrid creature she had the misfortune to see in her long years. It was hardly a meeting of friendly terms, and she had a hard time seeing the hobbit that had once been Gollum inside that frail and very ugly body.

"Never mind that, my dear. Legolas will tell Lord Elrond, and he will set things right. Even if Gollum does return here, and I doubt that he will, we have many guards, including your captain Haldir, who will take care of him should he return and try to make harm of you or I." Thranduil assured her, gently taking up her hand. Galadriel looked at her, to the sudden sensation that ripped through her soft hands at the king's touch. She felt something in her mind growing, but she had not the nerve to tell him to let go. Actually, it was quite nice, the touch of his hands. Age had not roughened them at all, something which had done murder on her husband's hands.

"My dear, where is your husband on this fine day? Why has he not come with you?" Thranduil said, rapidly changing subject. Galadriel felt her voice catch in her throat, but managed to eke out words.

"He refuses to leave his room. I fear that he wishes to return home even more than I do. This place is beautiful Thranduil, I am very impressed with what you have done with it." She smiled, suddenly noticing how close the king was to her. He smiled at her, taking up her hand and very unexpectedly kissing the back of it. She blinked and felt a blush coming on, but held it back for fear of embarrassing herself. Thranduil smiled at her, giving her a smile she had never seen before; the likes of it made her shiver, and not in an unpleasant way.

`-`-`-`-`

"They chassssed me, masssster...." Gollum pleaded with the elf standing in the corner of the room, his hands behind his back and his face hidden in shadows. "Chasssssed me away from the palassssse.." He said worriedly, wondering if his master would punish him for not completing his mission. Instead, the elf simply asked him if he had learned anything new.

"Legolasss...and Lady have gone to Rivendell...telling of Gollum's esssscape. King by himsssself." Gollum said smartly, hoping this would make up for his blunder. His master turned around, and the happy glint in his eyes told him that he had most definitely made it up to his master.

"Good work, Gollum. Now, fetch me the commander of my armies; I wish to speak with him." The elf dismissed the horrid creature, and Gollum hopped off to find the dark, twisted elf that his master had spoken of.

`-`-`-`-`-`

"Do you enjoy the view, my Lady?" Legolas asked his passenger, nearly whispering the words directly into her ear. Luthiena nearly gasped when he did this, but she nodded anyways.

"Yes, it is quite beautiful. Dare I ask when we will get to Rivendell?" She asked, turning slightly in the saddle to face Legolas, who had his eyes trained on the landscape around him. He chuckled, sparing a few seconds to look at her.

"Eager? Ah yes, we shall be there in another few hours time, if all goes correctly." Legolas informed her, snapping the reins of his horse and forcing it to go faster. It showed no signs of tiring out, and Luthiena found this most intriguing. Then, most suddenly, she heard something. Legolas seemed not to notice, and she thought that perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her.

It came again; the sound of harsh footsteps and of wild screams, unlike anything she had heard before. This time, Legolas stopped his horse and gestured for the other three travelling with them to do the same. All four horses came to a dead standstill, and even the beasts themselves seemed to know that something was amiss; they pawed at the ground and snorted, their own ears twitching back and forth.

"My Lord.." One of the Stewards said nervously, looking around him with worried eyes. Legolas scanned the area around them; they were in a clearing, so if anything attacked they would at least see what it was before it came upon them. Luthiena felt her heart beating faster and her temperature rising, and it made her very uncomfortable.

"Legolas, what is it..?" Luthiena said, in her fear forgetting the honorary title that went with his rank. He seemed not to notice; rather, his eyes were closed and he looked as though he were concentrating on the sound. There was a rustling, and the beasts stepped out into the clearing, growling at them.

"Orcs." Legolas said disgustedly, grabbing the reins of the horse. There were startled gasps from his Stewards, but he ignored them. There looked to be a hundred of the beasts or more, but he kept cool. Already, a plan was forming itself in his brain.

"Luthiena, can you ride a horse?" Legolas asked her seriously, and she nodded. He pushed the reins into her hands and grabbed his bow, and she caught onto his idea. "We are going to ride straight forward, and I am going to clear a path through these beasts. Be careful, and keep riding as fast as you can." Legolas shouted to his other Stewards, and they nodded to him. He nudged Luthiena and she slapped the reins against the horse's back, sending the beast rocketing towards the slowly forming ring of Orcs. Arrow after arrow sizzled the air past Luthiena's ear, and she forced her eyes to stay open as they rode ever closer to the Orcs, some of them felled by Legolas' bow. The beasts screamed and tried to lash out at her, but they did not get close thanks to the Prince seated behind her. She did not know if any of the other elves behind them got out, but once they were in the fray of Orcs - in increasing numbers, she noticed - her brain seemed to abandon her, and her body's fear took over her. She urged the beast to go faster, faster than it seemed to be able to go, and for some reason not one Orc touched her fair body.

"Legolas!!" She shouted, finally feeling her body running out of energy. She felt like she was going to faint; she knew not how many miles they had already ran, and she did not care. She simply let the reins slip from her hands, and dropped her head to her chest, and fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

`-`-`-`-`-`

It was evening when Luthiena opened her eyes again, and she found herself looking up into the beautiful evening stars. Sitting up, she noticed she was lying on a blanket that was supposedly packed in the horses' saddle bags when they left. She found Legolas sitting by a small fire, sitting and thinking. When he saw that she had awakened, he came to her side and looked down on her.

"Are you alright? You fainted after we cleared the Orcs." Legolas asked her, worry lines creasing his face. He was becoming increasingly aware that this girl was something more than just a girl who happened to be lost in Mirkwood, and he had a strange feeling that his feelings for her were developing, but perhaps in the wrong way for this occasion.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine now, but rather hungry.." She said, hoping that he would have something to eat for her. He smiled, helping her hold the bowl while she practically inhaled the small amount of food that he had prepared for her ahead of time. While she was eating, she noticed that it seemed that Legolas and her were the only ones in the camp.

"Legolas, where are the others that came with us?" She asked, putting down her bowl. The Prince's eyes almost immediately became bleak and sorrow-filled, and she knew that something terrible had happened.

"I do not know if they lived or died through the Orc attack. I have not seen one since the Orcs fled, but I have seen one of the horses....with no rider, and torn saddle bags." Legolas said soberly, wishing he had thought ahead and brought more soldiers instead of diplomats. He should have known that the fringes of Mirkwood would have been watched. He should have known...Legolas turned and stared at Luthiena, closing his eyes moments afterwards in what looked like pain. _It was because of her._ He chided himself, wondering if the others he had travelled with made it out alive.

"We may find them yet, Legolas." Luthiena assured him. Legolas simply humphed and turned the opposite way from her. He didn't feel like speaking to her; she had already gotten the slip on him and distracted him once, and it had probably cost innocent elven lives. He would make sure it didn't happen again.

Behind them several miles there was a small party of Orcs; in the middle stood Gollum, and he gave them orders on what to do.

"Capture the female, and do not harm her, for she issss the masssster's daughter." He warned, echoing his master's own words to him. "Leave the Princeeee." The captain of the ugly creatures nodded and gestured to some of his fellows, who immediately spread the word of the next attack. Their first try had not gone so well, and many were angry that a mere two elves on horseback could have escaped them. More words were exchanged, and then the creatures lay down to sleep, preparing for their attack the next morning.

`-`-`-`-`-`

"My Lord, you have been so very kind to me and my husband on our stay here, but I fear that the time has come to leave. We have already stayed longer than planned, and I fear that Lothlorien cannot govern itself." The Lady Galadriel spoke softly to the king, who considered her words. It was evening, and the two were once more out on a walk, enjoying then night sky, and once more Celeborn refused to join them. Galadriel feared that he would break something if he did not leave soon, and she had never seen him so grumpy, irritable and basically off his solar plexus before. She turned her head when Thranduil stopped beside her. She looked at him, his face half shadowed in the darkness.

She felt it before she saw it. He came in closer to her, bringing himself into that intimate zone that almost immediately made her feel uncomfortable. He smiled at her, bringing his hand to her chin and stroking it gently.

"If you mean to go then, my Lady..." He said softly. Galadriel gasped, and was nearly overwhelmed when she felt a familiar softness touch her lips. This time, however, it was not the intimate kiss of her husband, but rather that of a rival king. She flushed and moved backwards a bit, but it was too late. The King of Mirkwood brought his hand to her back, pressing her against him gently. She could do nothing, lest it draw more attention to them - if anyone happened to be watching. It was over then, moments later, and the king smiled at her as if nothing had happened, though his eyes told her a different story.

"Farewell then, my Lady." He said softly, turning heel and heading out away from the castle more. She watched as he walked among the flowers and trees, his blonde hair shining in the moonlight, his lips whistling a soft tune.

She sighed, before turning back to the castle, her skirts waving behind her. She could not, however, help herself when she looked back just once, only to see nothing but the pruned foliage behind her.


	4. To Set a Snare

__

Blood-Stained

Ch. 4: To Set a Snare

The next morning was bright and cheery, but Luthiena hardly felt that way. Legolas had hardly spoken to her since those few words last evening, and she couldn't help but feel that it was her fault that he was so mad, cranky, irritable or perhaps all three. She found that he had risen before her and had already packed the horse; he was waiting beside it, his foot tapping irritably.

"Could your Ladyship hurry it up a tad, please?" He asked her, clearly angry with her. Luthiena simply stared at him, wondering what brought on this sudden change. Now, suddenly feeling very clumsy under his angry stare, she nearly tripped and fell on her face, but she managed to avoid that. Hotly blushing at her mistake, she mounted the horse and found Legolas doing the same right behind her. He was not warm and relaxed as he had been yesterday; rather, he was cold, hard and tight when she happened to brush against any part of him as they rode. She felt much like a child that had been scorned, and wanted to know desperately what she had done to upset him. Asking, however, seemed out of the question; she feared that she would get her head bitten off if she so much as uttered one word.

She was about to open her mouth when she heard a sound; it was faint, but unmistakable: drum beats. _Doom, doom, doom... _It rang in her ears faintly but clearly, and she turned half in the saddle to partially face Legolas. He was not looking at her, but at the landscape around him, seemingly finding anywhere else to look but her.

"_Legolas_." She whispered, hoping to get his attention. He seemed to ignore her the first time, but when she asked a second time he did look down at her. His face was curled down in a slight frown, but when he saw the slight fear in her eyes his gaze softened. Instead of speaking, however, he simply looked at her to tell her he was listening.

"I hear something..." She whispered. No sooner had she done so did the drumming come again, and this time the Prince heard it. He stopped the horse, who's eyes were doing near perfect circles all the way around, looking for the same noise as them. Luthiena watched as Legolas' hands tightened around the reins, pulling slowly tighter.

"Orcs." He whispered, eyes narrowing. Then, looking at Luthiena, he said, "We must run now. I feared that they had not gone for good." She simply nodded, and he kicked at the horse's sides, forcing it on suddenly. The beast was eager to comply, thrusting forward with it's neck moving in motion to its legs. Behind them, a few of the ugly beasts had already appeared, atop horses this time, and she feared that this time they would not escape.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`

Galadriel sighed, nearly swaying atop her horse. She had not been able to concentrate since the night before in the garden, and was getting suspicious looks from everyone in her party, especially her husband. He kept asking her if she was alright with that look in his eye, and half the time she blanked out to somewhere else. All she kept thinking of was that tender moment in the gardens, and what the king had meant when he had done what he did. _I must consult the mirror when I return home,_ She thought to herself, _I must have these questions answered._

`-`-`-`-`-`-`

The battle was joined once more, though this time Legolas and Luthiena were fleeing rather than attacking. The Orcs seemed to know their general direction, and several of the ugly creatures blocked their path when they could. Since he was controlling the horse once more, Legolas had no choice than to veer the beast away and look for another way out, but despite his swiftness he found the two of them generally being herded backwards. He pulled on the horse once more, and the beast turned a practically impossible, tight turn and ran off in the other direction.

Unfortunately, luck did not last out for long. An Orc, bigger than the rest of them, came flying out of the crowd of them and whipped out at them with his hand, managing to grab Legolas by the collar of his clothes and throwing him off the horse. Luthiena screamed and tried to reach back to him, but soon the Prince found himself slammed against the hard ground, dirt grinding into his face. He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands, but was surprised to see that the Orcs paid no attention to him at all, instead chasing after the horse and Luthiena, who was still atop it. The beasts sailed over his head as they jumped, leaving him completely untouched. Feeling the pain in the back of his head suddenly blossom, Legolas felt his eyes rolling up and he fell back to the dirt carpet, unconscious.

Luthiena felt like screaming, but she kept her head about her. When she looked back and saw that they did not harm Legolas, she was relieved, but was also frightened when she realised that they were after _her_. She took up the reins of the beast, but found that she was quickly trapped. Orcs had made a small circle around her, and since she had no weapon she was effectively trapped. She screamed out, the horse raising up to it's hindquarters when she did so.

"_LEGOLAS_!!!" She cried, before one of the nearest creatures grabbed her and slapped a hand over her mouth.

`-`-`-`-`-`

King Thranduil was musing, sitting on his throne absently as several assistants came up to him and presented him with things that needed his 'urgent attention'. He sighed, feeling his eyes droop.

"Lord Mirkwood!" A messenger arrived, looking quite out of breath. The king immediately straightened; this looked to be important. The servant stopped in front of him, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Sire, there have been Orcs reported moving into the city! They're swarming the hills!" He said, clearly afraid. Thranduil felt a fear suddenly grip his heart; he had sent Legolas out there by himself, with nearly no protection. Who knew how many legions of Orcs were out there between Rivendell and Mirkwood? Forcing himself to keep his head, he ordered that all arms come to the palace and prepare to protect the city. The page nodded and ran away, to tell the guards resting in the adjoining guardhouse that they were needed, and to rally any volunteer soldiers that could be found.

Thranduil bit his lip; he could only hope that Legolas was alright.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

Luthiena stood alone in the small room, looking around and noticing how dark and dreary it was. There was a throne, carved of cold black marble, but there was no one sitting on it. She looked around; this place looked eerily similar to her, but she could not place it. If she had only known where she was, she perhaps might have remembered.

"Hello, my dear daughter." Came a soft voice, and the image of a tall, dark-haired elf with dazzling green eyes like hers came into view from the shadows. Her jaw nearly dropped; it was someone important to her, she knew, but she knew not who. Could it be possible that this person was her father? _He could be trying to trick you,_ her mind whispered, _be careful._

"How do you know me?" She asked him immediately, backing up from him as he approached her. He looked hurt that she did this, but did not look angered. In fact, his eyes were full of something she could describe as sorrow and relief.

"Do you not know me, daughter? I am your father, Rotan." He said softly, holding his hand out to her once more. At the mention of the name Luthiena felt her mind buzz with memories, images, words and pictures that she could barely discern. It happened all at once, and she could not get a gain on anything, but somehow she did know that what he said was true.

"I woke up and found myself at Mirkwood castle, and that is all I know." She said softly, standing up straight. She suddenly realised that she must have looked much out of place in her green and gold-leaf dress, but she wore it with pride anyways. Despite his angry disposition earlier that morning, Luthiena took pride in knowing that Legolas thought it looked good on her. The elf Rotan seemed to take this new dress in as well, and looked her up and down.

"I never imagined that anything bright would look so nice on you, daughter. Do you miss the woollen dresses I had imprisoned you with?" He chuckled when she rapidly shook her head. Yes, he would have given his daughter such clothing had he known she wanted it, but she had not spoken of such things since...well, ever. Instead of commenting, he simply opened his arms to her.

"Come here, my child. Embrace your worried father." He asked her, and she found herself complying although she hadn't entirely made up her mind to. He sighed, breathing into her neck when she found herself against his body, which was actually very warm. She could tell that he was smiling, and she simply stood there and hugged him, not daring to move.

"I am sorry that I cannot remember you well, father. I fear my memory has left me for some reason." Luthiena explained to her now estranged parent, causing his eyebrow to raise. Clearly, he had not known of this beforehand. Still, the images of herself running, skirts held high, remained planted in her brain. She had run from this place, which she assumed was either her prison or her home. She had run from here, and with good reason. The only thing was, what was that reason? The edges of her memory threatened to come back, but she could not grasp them at that moment.

"Do not worry, child, I am sure that it will come back." Rotan assured her, taking her by the shoulder and leading her away from the throne room. She followed him, moved by something she could not describe, all thoughts of Legolas banished from her mind at the moment.

"Here, I will show you to your room. I have been very worried about you, Luthiena. When you went missing, I nearly died of sorrow. Promise not to break my heart again?" He asked her, looking her in the eyes when they had come to a pale grey door, somewhere down the hall. She nodded softly, and he smiled at her as he opened the door to her room. He bid her goodbye and walked off down the hall, and she entered her room and shut the door with a click. Though she did not hear it, the door itself locked behind her, shutting her in.

Looking around the room, she saw immediately why she would want to leave a place like this. Everything was either grey, black or white, and the walls were plain, unlike those of Mirkwood palace. Going over to the closet, she found several identical copies of the same dress that she had first been found by Legolas in. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the huge woollen things and shut the door, happy that she could wear something so much more beautiful than those ugly things.

The thought struck her like a bolt of lightning; Legolas! She had completely forgotten about him in her dream-like state of trying to remember where she came from. She mentally cursed herself, walking to the door with the intent of asking her 'father' if she had seen Legolas when whatever picked her up and brought her here came. She took the handle of the door, but it would not open. Becoming alarmed, she struggled with it.

"Damn it!" She cursed herself for being so careless. She should have known better than to trust someone she barely even knew! Luthiena walked over and sat on the bed, the blankets of which alternated from black to grey. She could only hope now that Legolas would come back for her; and even then, it was probably a trap.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`

Legolas woke with a splitting headache. He groaned, sitting up. Just as he expected, he was lying in the same position in the same place as he had been when he and Luthiena were attacked. He had to assume that she had been captured now; no offence to her as a person, but she could not keep out of danger long. He stood up, ignoring his swimming head and terrible pounding that emanated from it, trying to concentrate on what he should do. As he saw it, he had a limited number of choices. One, he could go back to Mirkwood and being his search there for Luthiena; two, he could follow the tracks of the Orcs - which would probably get him nowhere, he realised - or three, he could go to Rivendell and carry out the mission that his father had assigned to him. Now all three looked like bad choices, but he would have to do something. He reasoned that Rivendell was too far away now, and without a horse he could not hope to make it there in speed. Following Orcs was like a death wish, so that left him only one option; to return to Mirkwood. He sighed, turning back in the direction of his home and beginning the painstaking journey back on foot.


	5. Battlefields

__

Blood-Stained

Ch. 5: Battlefields

A/N: Hey ppl! Thank you so much for reviewing this!! ^_^ I was worried that it would come out too much like a Mary-Sue, but I rather liked how it came out! And now, to thank my reviewers! To Shannara Harper and Cat-Chan, thank you for your encouragement! And to D45: This story is Pre-Rings, but there are small things written into it from the original books, like when Legolas goes to Rivendell to tell Elrond of Gollum's escape, but the events don't follow like the book. Thanks so much, and here's chapter 5! Oh, and sorry if this chapter sucks; I just went through major writer's block and some things may not make sense or the flowing quality of the writing might not be at my best right at the moment.

``-``-``-``-``

The King watched with pained eyes as one of the outer walls of the palace came tumbling down. As evidenced by the gruesome actions of the invading Orcs, and of the fact that his servants and pages kept yelling different suggestions in his ears constantly, he knew that the palace was no longer safe.

"Sire, you must leave immediately!" One of the returned Stewards yelled to him, running up amongst all the soldiers that were lining themselves up in the hallway, prepared to protect their king from any kind of oncoming attack. Thranduil looked at him; he was still sporting a few gashes and cuts from his terrified ride back to Mirkwood, and the story he had brought with him had nearly devastated the king's heart. He had told of how his other fellows had fallen against the swarming packs of Orcs, and of how Legolas had thrust full speed into the strongest legions, bearing his bow and taking down as many of them as he could. Thranduil hoped for his son's safety, and all he could hope now was that he had made it to Rivendell safely.

"Yes, yes. Is the passage out secure?" He asked. There was no way he would leave until he was sure that he would be safe. The Steward nodded slightly, beckoning for his king to follow him. Thranduil got up slowly from his throne, unwilling to leave yet knowing he had to for his own life. It may be the last time he would sit inside the palace itself, so he enjoyed it while the moments ticked away.

There came a thrashing at the door. Orcs screamed at the doorway, and Thranduil could hear their armour and weapons clanging together and against the door in their vain attempt to get in. He involuntarily shuddered; Orcs had been elves once, true nature-loving elves, but they had been corrupted by the Dark Lord himself and set forth to breed new strains and variations as they pleased. There was no end to their ruthlessness, though they may have been lacking a little in the brains department. The king could remember a story that he had heard once, before he had become King; it was thought that Orcs were as smart and could be as stealthy as regular elves, but the pain they had been put through - emotional and physical - stayed with them, and it warped and twisted their minds.

"Your Lordship!" One of the servants yelled above the straining wood of the creaking doors. The Orcs would be on them any moment now. The King got up and followed his servant, and this time he ran.

``-``-``-``-``-``-``

Luthiena couldn't help but pace about her room. This elf, calling himself her father, had just locked her in! She couldn't help now but wonder what her life had been like before she lost her memory. Perhaps she was this foul creature's daughter, and she had escaped when she had seen a chance to leave this dreary, dismal place? That would explain why she had visions of herself running hard and long from a place such as this. It was making more and more sense of why she would want to run away, and she found herself thinking that it was glad she did.

A little while later, a knock came at her door, and she found herself fearing it. Nevertheless, the door opened and two very ugly Orcs came through, grabbing her almost silently and leading her forcefully through the black hallways. She struggled against them, but to no avail; they were much stronger than her and she could not hope to break free. Luthiena was convinced on her way down the hall that the man she called father was indeed evil, if he could manage to come into an alliance with dirty, ugly Orcs. She voiced this to one of her captors, and he growled threateningly at her but surprisingly did not harm her. She smirked; perhaps she would get out of this after all.

"Ah, my little girl. How was your first day home?" Rotan asked her gently, arriving before her and gesturing for the Orcs to let her go. She kicked at the beasts as they left, but apparently they were used to such behaviour. Luthiena noticed now how dark he seemed; dark and mysterious, and definitely full of anger.

"I do not call you father." She said defiantly, standing up as tall as she could. "I do not remember you. How do I know that you are not lying to me in order to get me to trust you?" She said. Rotan looked at her, his eyes suddenly turning steely.

"I did not say I wanted your trust, dear child. I do not care if you believe me or not, but what I say is the truth." He said softly, as if trying to restrain his voice from doing otherwise. She was surprised to note how soft his tones became when he spoke to her, but she knew that he was evil nonetheless and would not give into his false mask of the grieving parent. Rotan considered her as she stood before him in defiance.

"Why have you brought me here? I'm sure I had a good reason for running away, whether I am your daughter or not." Luthiena said defiantly, and instantly she knew she had hit a soft spot. The older elf seemed to cringe slightly, but he shook it off quickly.

"Because, my dear, you are essential to my plans." Apparently having enough of this odd reunion, he gestured to the air and the two Orcs came in again, taking her by the arms and forcefully removing her from the room. She screamed and howled several curses at him on her way out, and though they touched him on the inside he made no show of it on the outside. He sighed, turning once again to his window.

``-``-``-``-``-``

Legolas stopped dead in his tracks, his ears suddenly pricked up. Though he was far off and he wasn't entirely sure what the noise was, his heart whispered the same word all the same; _Orc_. Immediately his mind filled with fear; it was in the direction of his home! Wasting no time, he tore off through the brush towards the glistening city, hoping now that he was not too late.

``-``-``-``-``-``

The ugly creatures were everywhere, climbing over all the buildings and breaking nearly everything in sight, looking for elven prisoners to take and mutilate at their will. Luthiena travelled in the middle of this ugly pack of Orcs, handed down through the ranks to the very middle, where no warrior was sure to rescue her. She shrieked whenever she came into contact with the beasts, but was very relieved when they seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't help but wonder, however, where they were going. As she looked around her, she suddenly became aware of the look - and feel - of the brush around her. It seemed that she had been here before; perhaps she was close to the Mirkwood palace and would be reunited with Legolas.

_Legolas._ The mere thought of the prince left doubt in her mind; he had seemed so angry with her when they had parted, and the look in his eyes was frightening all in itself. Those eyes, normally so warm and filled with laughter, had been frozen over and had turned rock solid. As the Orcs took her down another faceless hill, bumping her a good deal on the way down, she couldn't help but wonder if Legolas would come and rescue her. The way they had parted, it certainly didn't seem so; she felt a tear roll down the side of her cheek involuntarily, taking eternity to carve it's small passage down the creases in her face. What would he say to her now, should he look upon her once more? Would she simply be looked on as another elven female of Mirkwood, and not worth any of the Prince's time? She sighed, suddenly feeling quite weak as she walked.

"Faster, _elf_!" One of the huge Orcs roared at her, pushing his hand into the middle of her back. She felt the wind being knocked out of her, but managed to stay on her feet. She turned and glared at the ugly creature, but walked all the same. The Orcs didn't want to harm her, it seemed, and she wanted it to remain that way. When the Orc that had pushed her came up to her side and walked beside her, she took a chance by asking him - or, she assumed that it was a him - where they were taking her. He simply looked on her with disgust, the way someone may have looked upon a leech or fly.

"You shall know when we arrive, your majesty." He said, his voice full of sarcasm. At that moment Luthiena nearly spit on his shoes, but decided that in her situation that wouldn't exactly be the safest thing to do. She simply grumbled something in elvish - most likely curses, the commander thought with a smirk on his face - and walked forward, not lifting her head again.

``-``-``-``-``-``

Legolas grumbled as he ran; the blazing pain in his forehead had not stopped, and it nearly came close to slowing him down. Being the stubborn elf that he was, however, he did not let the pain slow him, not even for a moment. His eyes and ears constantly searched the area he tread through for Orcs, or the dangerously toxic smell of Orcs, but he was relieved to find nothing. He could not, however, shake the feeling that something was drastically wrong, and it only helped to speed his journey. He wondered how long it would be to the city at his pace; on a horse he went nearly doubly as fast, and he had been just over half way to Rivendell, so that should have meant that it would take him double the time to get back. Then he had to consider the route that he had backtracked when he and Luthiena had been attacked by the Orcs, and finally reasoned that it was not much longer. _Not much longer,_ he told himself stubbornly, _so just shut up and run._ It was this frame of mind that he took with him for the next few miles, and so his other senses were momentarily let down at certain times. If he had been at full alert and not bothered by his own aching head, he probably would have noticed the suspicious-looking bulge in the trees to the right. Legolas did not, however, and passed it as though it were nothing more than brush. Seeing that such a ploy would not work, the bulge stepped intentionally on a stick, making a loud cracking noise in the quiet forest. This got Legolas' attention, and he stopped dead in his tracks, mentally beating himself up for being so careless. There was nothing more for a few moments, and then the creature broke out into a run. Acting on his instincts, Legolas took off after it into the thorns. He saw from the brief snatches of it as it darted in between the trees that it was a small creature, bent over so it's hands were nearly touching the ground. He grumbled to himself; Gollum was leading him somewhere.

Trying his best to ignore his headache, Legolas drew his bow and held an arrow to it, prepared to fight off anything he encountered. So it was that the creature Gollum led the Prince into the darker areas of Mirkwood, making it plainly obvious where he was at all times. Legolas felt something stirring in his stomach, and it twisted almost painfully when he concentrated on it. He tried to shrug it off, knowing something big was about to happen.

Finally, there came a break in the trees; Legolas' eyes opened wide almost immediately, for he saw Luthiena standing in the middle, surrounded by at least twenty Orcs. They looked out from all sides, and he had to stop himself from crashing into the clearing and revealing that he had come. Instead, Legolas stopped and darted behind a tree, taking no time at all in climbing up it and surveying the area. Luthiena looked scared, but she seemed to be unhurt and unmolested - and he was glad for that. There seemed to be no one else in the area except for the Orcs, but he had a strange feeling that someone else was watching and listening from some place that no one could see. He crept forward on the branch, straining his eyes to see every detail of the clearing...

"Stop. Don't move." The voice came nearly next to his ear, and Legolas felt his heart stop in reaction. He slowly turned his head, but it was forced forwards again by the shaft of an arrow, which happened to be pointed directly at his head. He sighed, sitting up into a more comfortable position.

"Climb down. Slowly." The person instructed him, and the voice immediately branded the male voice as elven. He wondered if he had come across bounty hunters of some sort, but he did not question the elf's orders as he slowly climbed down. He felt the arrow prick his backside gently, 'encouraging' him to walk forward into the clearing. He did so, his hands up in surrender, and felt his weapons being removed from his backside with a small snap of the leather holster they were kept in. His back immediately felt lighter, but it did not suddenly ease the pressure on his heart. He was now weapon less and probably defenceless, unless he could somehow kill and Orc with his bare hands.

"Legolas!" Luthiena called to him, sighting him coming out of the trees. She gasped when she saw none other than her assumed father Rotan pointing a deadly-looking arrow directly at the Prince's back, gesturing for him to come forward to where the Orcs could get their hands on him. Legolas looked up at her, and for a moment she thought she saw joy in his eyes, but it was quickly squashed by something else. She frowned, unable to look him directly in the eyes when her father had brought him up to the line of Orcs and they had shackled his feet and hands together to prevent escape. The Orcs immediately stopped surrounding her, and instead brought their attention to Legolas, who was now staring at the whole lot rather warily. She realised with anger in her heart that she had been used as bait, though she had really known it all along in her heart.

"What do you want with Legolas?!?" She asked her father angrily, after he had put down his bow and replaced it at his backside. Rotan watched her approach with something that she could not identify dancing in his eyes, and it frightened her slightly.

"Why, my dear daughter, I plan to kill him. Of course, you should have already assumed that." Her father said casually, waving his hand. At this Legolas struggled, but only resulted in him getting backhanded and tossed nearly to the ground, and getting his eardrums nearly blasted out by the harsh voice of the Orc captain yelling at him to be still. Luthiena bit her lip, trying to be still; she knew now why she had run away from him. This elf before her was a monster, and she was sure that his plan somehow involved Mirkwood palace, and King Thranduil. She just knew it. As if to voice her fears, her father spoke again of his plans.

"Yes, I was happy to have you back my dear, but even happier to know that you had befriended the Prince Legolas." He said, shooting a glance at the struggling elf, "It all worked to my advantage, of course. I used you as bait - though I suppose you know that by now - to capture the prince, and with him I can control that damned King Thranduil, for his only son Legolas is his weakness, you see." Rotan laughed, backhanding Legolas once more and causing much laughter amongst the Orcs. Luthiena burned; this elf was truly the most evil creature ever to exist, with the exception of Sauron himself!

"My father will not give in to you." Legolas said defiantly, doing what Luthiena could not and spitting on his shoes. Rotan's face twisted into a frown, and he backhanded the prince once more, but that did not shut him up.

"You will never win! Mirkwood is stronger than a singular elf wishing to change everything it believes in!" At this he received another punch, and he finally took it upon himself to become silent for the time being. While this happened, a question surfaced in her mind, one that had been plaguing her for a while now. She turned to her father.

"Why? Why do this?" She asked suddenly, causing Rotan to stare directly at her. She thought she could see a smile on his face, but it was quickly masked by an evil smirk, one that made her shudder.

"Ah, I was waiting for someone to ask! For, you see my daughter, I plan to take over Mirkwood by eliminating the king. Once he is out of the way, I can claim the throne as my own!" He erupted into laughter. When he had calmed himself, he spoke again, "For I, Rotan of Mirkwood, should have been it's ruler." At this Legolas gasped, and the older elf turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "You have heard of me, then?" He asked, the humour evident in his voice. It was clear that he thought he was in complete control now, and that his plans had been cemented into place.

"Yes, I have heard of you. I have heard tales around the city of an elf who was of equal power to my father at the time that my Grandfather died, and that you two struggled for power. I also know," Legolas said with a grin, "That my father fought you, and won. He said you disappeared into the darker parts of the forest, and we all presumed you dead."

"But you were wrong!" Rotan hissed, pacing despite himself. "I lived, and after I made an alliance with these travelling packs of Orcs I began plotting my revenge!" Rotan gestured, sweeping his hands over the Orcs that had packed around Legolas and Luthiena, preventing them both from escaping. And then, almost as an afterthought, the Lord approached Legolas and looked him in the eye.

"I will win this time. My armies have already marched on Mirkwood Palace, and the king has been unseated. It is only a matter of time now." Legolas was left staring after the maniacal former Steward of Mirkwood as he stalked away, feeling a deep weight settle on his heart for fear of his father's life.


End file.
